I'm too good-looking to be a politician: Shah Rukh

Oct 13, 2007, 13:26 GMT

New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan says he is not cut out for politics and he is 'too materialistic and too good-looking' to play the role.

'I really appreciate the youngsters who make a decision to join politics because it is a very self-sacrificing job. I'm too selfish and too materialistic to be a politician. I can't sacrifice my personal gains. I'm also too good-looking to be a politician,' King Khan said at the HT Leadership Summit held here.

'I would also take this opportunity to apologise on behalf of the entire industry that caricatured politicians in their films. They are not as self-centred as shown in our films,' he added.

Talking about his vision for future India, he said: 'I would like see a more educated India because I feel there is no alternative to education. I would like to contribute to education of children.'

The superstar is touched by the pitiable condition of Indian women who can't afford even the basic amenities.

'I respect women a lot and I feel ashamed when I am driving down in a remote area and see women don't have their privacy. I would like to build the basic utilities for them,' said Shah Rukh.

He is quite media savvy. And unlike many, he doesn't think that media have been prying too much into celebrities' personal lives.

Shah Rukh said: 'Sometimes media exaggerate things like my so-called rivalry with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. But I cannot deny that I use media for my gains time and again. So, I cannot complain when they use me.

'We have a synergy here. I respect media, as it is a huge marketing device. For example, I don't have the Rs.300-400 million like Sony Pictures (who is producing and marketing 'Saawariya') to market my film, so I depend on the media for that.'

When asked about things he is not comfortable doing on screen, SRK said: 'The ban on on-screen smoking and drinking was narrow-minded. I don't like dark films, I don't feel comfortable playing a mean guy and using abusive language, especially after (I have had) my children.'

The actor, who has starred in this year's biggest hits and does a lot of endorsements, has become one of the super brands of India. However, he says that he never worked consciously to achieve that.

'Brands are made by the conventional way of working hard. I never worked in a special manner to build my brand. I just worked hard.'

Asked how difficult it is to maintain the brand image, he said: 'Getting somewhere is easy but holding it is very difficult. Brands work if you think positively.'

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service